When McGrouther’s opened up their operation in Cornton in 1928 they had obviously spent some time on the construction and development of the site.
21st January 1924 The Master of Cowane’s Hospital feued to Scottish Bacon Curing Factories Limited 7.988 acres “on the East and North East of Cornton Road, Stirling.” That ground included the area upon which 54 and 56 Cornton Road were built.
On the 9th of May 1924 the Scottish Bacon Curing Factories Ltd. obtained approval from the Dean of Guild Court in the County of Stirling for the erection, on Cornton Road, of a double cottage consisting of two 4 apartment dwellings. An apartment, at that time, constituted living or sleeping accommodation so likely a Living Room and three bedrooms. The original plans are no longer available but both houses have been extensively remodelled over time.
The 1940 Valuation Roll lists two houses on Cornton Road (with no number attributed) owned by M’Grouther, Ltd., Pork Product Specialists and occupied by 1- Duncan M’Grouther Bacon Curer and 2- Peter Campbell, bacon Curer.
Between then and May 1926 five other dwellings were given approval, simply labelled as Cornton Road.
By scrutiny of the Ordnance Survey Maps relating to that era one can deduce that these were the semi detached cottages at 64-66 Cornton Road (since numbers 54 and 56 are the only other semi detached block and within the area owned by McGrouthers)
and the three bungalows at the corner of Cornton Road and Haugh Road.
The applicants were as follows: –
- 6th July 1925 – Alex Haston Stirling – Cottage – 1 x 5 Apt
- 27th August 1925 – John Anderson, 44 Cowane Street – Cottage – 1 x 5 Apt.
- 8th January 1926 – Miss Lithgow, Stirling – Cottage – 1 x 5 Apt.
- 6th May 1926 – James Meiklejohn, Causewayhead – Double Cottage – 2 x 5 Apt.
Looking at the map and the fact that the area seems to be divided into lots, we can assume that Cowane’s Hospital had decided to Feu the land in their ownership at about this time. If you look at the Dean of Guild Plans for Orchard Cottage (Wyncliffe) it is noted there that in 1912 all of the lands to the north of the Rubber Works at that time were labelled as “Unfeued Lands“. This release of land by Cowane’s Hospital seems to have been the catalyst for the development of Cornton.
At the time of writing these buildings would be celebrating their Centenary.
Cornton - Our Story 